Category Archives: volunteers

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The Coat Angels motto is, “For every coat we buy, a child will be warm this winter.” It’s a simple and true statement. The goal of the Coat Angels is not only to make children warm but to make them feel special. They have certainly achieved their goal and we are grateful!

With the cold weather nearly here, the Coat Angels have visited CCO once again! The Angels came through with brand new coats, jackets, gloves, scarves, and hats for the families sheltered at CCO. The children were able to choose from a variety of sizes and colors. The Coat Angels have provided essential winter wear and in doing so they have brought joy and encouragement to our families experiencing homelessness. Thank you for warming our hearts, Coat Angels!

We want to say a special thank you to Devin Escue, who took pictures of the children with their new winter gear. Devin has actively supported CCO throughout his teenage years. He has taken photographs for our Fall Frenzy, provided playground equipment through his Eagle Scout project, served meals at our Annual Veteran’s Recognition Dinner, and has baked many of the birthday cakes that are given to the children sheltered at CCO. What a guy! Thanks, Devin!

Staff, volunteers, and shelter guests were privileged to welcome the Chicago Bears to CCO. The seven Bears who volunteered their time and energy, brought smiles, excitement, and joy to the families and individuals at those sheltered with us. We would like to say a huge thank you to Sam Acho, John Timu, De’Vante Bausby, Jimmy Staten, Mike Adams, Adrian Amos, and Dion Bush, who served a delicious dinner, signed autographs, and gave a word of encouragement. Thanks so much to the Chicago Bears! You’re welcome to come back anytime!

Special thanks to Sean T. McGill, who donated his time and outstanding photography skills so that all of us could enjoy such a memorable evening through his photos. View his other professional photography projects by clicking here. Thank you!

Get your holiday shopping done, have fun, and support a great cause! Nestled in the heart of Wilson Abbey’s auditorium, local crafters will sell their wares! Live music will provide the entertainment and Everybody’s Coffee will be right there to warm you up with reasonably priced, tasty food and drink. 15% of all profit goes to support the mission of CCO!

Wilson Abbey is located at 935 W. Wilson Avenue in Chicago. The sale will be open from 1-4pm on Sunday, November 20. We hope to see you there!

Team CCO member, Isaiah Roberts ran this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon on behalf of CCO. Here’s what he had to say about his motivation for going 26.2 miles.

“CCO is a non-profit that works to help the homeless community in Uptown, Chicago. CCO offers meals (236,600 just last year alone), temporary shelter, food bags. Their services go far beyond that. ‘Finding home’ is part of their mission statement, and they work to offer REAL solutions to get people off the streets and permanently housed. Their caseworkers help them find essential documents, such as birth certificates, social security cards. They help shelter residents find employment, and even provide them with transit passes so they can GET to their job. Last year alone, CCO moved over 220+ into PERMANENT housing.”

Registration is open for the 2017 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Click here to getting a guaranteed entry through Team CCO and #RunForShelter!

Commitment, motivation, and inspiration are just a few of the words that describe Team CCO at this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon! Every member of the team “wowed” us with their commitment to crossing the finish line. They motivated us to support homeless services and inspired us to give! We want to extend our deepest thanks to each member of the team who endured 26.2 miles to help families and individuals who are sheltered at CCO. Every step you took brought someone closer to permanent housing. You have truly inspired us!

We also want to thank the support team who cheered everyone on at the Charity Block Tent. Your encouragement kept the team on the road to the finish line!

Are you inspired? Registration for the 2017 Chicago Marathon is open from October 25 – November 29, 2016. Contact Andrew at teamcco@ccolife.org or visit the Team CCO page to request more information. Not a runner? It’s not too late to give to the team that supports those sheltered at CCO. Visit the Team CCO CrowdRise page by clicking here.

Expedia Cares about teens experiencing homelessness. On Thursday, September 26th an outstanding group of Expedia employees came to CCO for a volunteer day. They worked tirelessly through the 88 degree heat and transformed an unused area into an arts and crafts space for teens at the Sylvia Center. The group worked extremely hard carrying and lifting huge items out of storage and arranging them in the new space. They completed their project with a fresh coat of paint. As a bonus, the teens sheltered at CCO were able to choose the paint color!

Families and individuals sheltered at CCO have greatly benefited from the Expedia volunteer days. We want to say a special thanks to Amelia Gresko and Dipak Patel, both are Sr. Market Managers with Expedia and they have been key contact people for volunteer days, donations, and support.
Thank you Expedia!

“For now I ask no more than the justice of eating.”
— Pablo Neruda, Chilean Poet, Nobel Prize Winner

Join CCO in the fight against hunger in Chicago, where 1 in 6 people experience hunger and food insecurity. What is food insecurity? It’s when a person does not know whether they will be able to eat their next meal or meals because of lack of money.

At CCO, we are committed to offering nutritious meals to the hundreds of families and individuals who are sheltered with us. Food is a critical element in stabilizing a person’s health so that they are able to attend school, begin to recover from trauma, complete job training, access housing, and care for themselves and their family. In addition to our shelter guests, the CCO Food Pantry offers groceries to over 150 households each week.

Please consider making a donation to CCO today that will benefit those we serve and help them along the road to wellness. Click here to visit our donation page.

Can’t donate at this time? You can get involved by volunteering your time at CCO. We truly couldn’t fight poverty in Chicago without an army of valuable volunteers working alongside us. Serving meals, taking out the trash, cleaning, planting flowers, doing dishes, many hands make light work. Click here to visit our volunteer page.

Would you like to donate goods? Our CCO Free Store offers clothing and household items free of charge to everyone sheltered with us and many of our neighbors in need. The majority of the families and individuals who come to CCO for the first time have no income. Free clothing and shoes are necessary essentials. Gently-used items can be dropped off at 4628 N. Clifton Avenue in Chicago.

Are you an amateur athlete? CCO’s charitable fitness group, Team CCO, offers a fundraising avenue for those would like to run, walk, or climb their way to a better world. Click here to see what charitable fitness options are available to you.

Do you have a creative idea that will help people experiencing homelessness? Feel free to contact us at info@ccolife.org to make an inquiry.

Thank you to everyone who walked for CCO at this years Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) Hunger Walk. Those who joined us for the Hunger Walk helped to create over 10,000 pounds of food from the GCFD for CCO shelter guests and food pantry patrons.

Each day over 350 men, women, and children are sheltered at CCO. The CCO dining room offers nutritious meals to all our shelter guests. Each week over 150 households visit the CCO Food Pantry to choose from healthy grocery items.

If you weren’t able to join us for the Hunger Walk you can still make a donation that will make a difference for those we shelter. Safe shelter, nutritious meals, and intensive case management services, are a critical part of the services CCO offers to the families and individuals sheltered with us. Consider donating today!

Thank you Devin! Devin Escue has been working on a special Eagle Scout Project. Through tireless fundraising Devin has been able to purchase new toys for the CCO Rooftop Playground. The Playground Party was a huge success and the kids were able to try out new hula hoops, balls, bikes, and even a basketball hoop. Devin provided delicious treats and the moms and children had a great time. Thanks again Devin!

Happy birthday to you! Joel celebrated his birthday last week at CCO. He and his mother were given new toys, a decorated cake, and party supplies to celebrate his special day. CCO shelters nearly 150 children and each birthday is important. A small network of dedicated volunteers bake cakes, decorate them, and deliver them to CCO for the children living in our shelter. Donors purchase cake mixes, canned icing, candles, and decorations, to make each cake special.

It’s important to have special events and celebrations for the families and individuals we shelter because being homeless is hard difficult. Isn’t it great to think that the children and parents sheltered at CCO will look back on their homeless experience with these bright and special moments?